How is “Game Over” from “Final Fantasy I” able to evoke a sense of losing and game being over using a generic descending-fifths sequence?

The very original NES prelude way back in 1987 from Final Fantasy I behaves differently from the ones to follow, as we’ll se Nobuo himself demonstrating. I hear a swirling kaleidoscope in the inverted arpeggios, so I cover them with the guitar. Let’s peek into the colored glass and some untapped game music potential.

In this Not-How-To anti-tutorial, I compose game music (map theme) inspired by the “Wrong-Note” prelude, as I wrote & videoed in The “Wrong-Note” Prelude of Final Fantasy I (1987 NES). After the arpeggios there’s an ascending-fifths (aka “mountain”) sequence and a classic ii-V-(I reinterpreted as III) turnaround. I recommend skipping with the use of timestamps, unless the composing process itself interests you or maybe viewing in the background.

How is “Game Over” from “Final Fantasy I” able to evoke a sense of losing and game being over using a generic descending-fifths sequence?

In this Not-How-To anti-tutorial, I compose game music (map theme) inspired by the “Wrong-Note” prelude, as I wrote & videoed in The “Wrong-Note” Prelude of Final Fantasy I (1987 NES). After the arpeggios there’s an ascending-fifths (aka “mountain”) sequence and a classic ii-V-(I reinterpreted as III) turnaround. I recommend skipping with the use of timestamps, unless the composing process itself interests you or maybe viewing in the background.

The very original NES prelude way back in 1987 from Final Fantasy I behaves differently from the ones to follow, as we’ll se Nobuo himself demonstrating. I hear a swirling kaleidoscope in the inverted arpeggios, so I cover them with the guitar. Let’s peek into the colored glass and some untapped game music potential.

How is “Game Over” from “Final Fantasy I” able to evoke a sense of losing and game being over using a generic descending-fifths sequence?

The very original NES prelude way back in 1987 from Final Fantasy I behaves differently from the ones to follow, as we’ll se Nobuo himself demonstrating. I hear a swirling kaleidoscope in the inverted arpeggios, so I cover them with the guitar. Let’s peek into the colored glass and some untapped game music potential.

Let’s Play Final Fantasy I - with Guitar! “Prelude” (NES Version specifically) and “Game Over” for starters. Konsta Airisto’s mage art captures nicely the hidden music theory wizardries in the game’s soundtrack. I now explain the journey that awaits us (EP and Album to come).

Let’s Play Final Fantasy I - with Guitar! “Prelude” (NES Version specifically) and “Game Over” for starters. Konsta Airisto’s mage art captures nicely the hidden music theory wizardries in the game’s soundtrack. I now explain the journey that awaits us (EP and Album to come).

“Eponymous:” an almost unlikely combination of electronica and mellow guitars.

Welcome dungeon crawling the nylon guitar! Don’t let the pastoral, Arcadian art by Konsta Airisto fool you - here be music theory dragons. Special mention to galant partimento / scale-degree schemata by R. Gjerdingen, G. Sanguinetti & other wizard legends.

To the Land of No Return: A postlude that opens with a minor romanesca and reflects on the opening track.

When Shadows Take Over: the final “let’s explore dark, minor modal mixture” of this album.

Goblins Lurking in the Darkness: the most blatant dungeon synth parody of this album.

Angels Carried Me Away: choral style improvisation with the guitar = PITA.

Crystalline Chaotic Caves: textural exploration, F.Sor etouffez, perhaps a dungeon synth parody or a game cave theme.

Windless Deserted Island: “a first inversion harmony, or a phrygian clausula tenorizans?”

Strong Currents in the Unknown Waters: an arpeggio interlude, this time with dark, minor modal mixture.

It’s Time to Set The Sails: I ripped of an unknown composer’s “Forest Theme” from Terra Incognita, a Net Yaroze demo game.

Goodbye Faraway Peaceful Town: instead of a shepherd in Arcadia, I associate romanesca with town themes.

Revelations in Ancient Tombs: what happens when you apply “chroma”, Gesualdo-style, on a romanesca?

Prelude to a Foreboding: The static use of the arpeggio motive creates tension; “trailer music” vibes.

Autumn Moon Dance: This dance-like motive unfolds in a “minor-variant romanesca”.

Doppelganger Takes Over: The motif is one of my favorite fantasy tropes, albeit rare: it sounds quite dark.

Twilight in the Marshlands: This motif, I feel is rather soundtrack-like, serious and heavy.

Waltz with Me Moose Giants: a chameleon motive, very useful for weaving counterpoint.

Fireflies Circling in the Rain: The flourishing motif changes along with the underlying modes or scales.

Chilly Nights, Quiet Winds: a meandering motive searchs out and seeks, perhaps for a warmer breeze.

False Relations in an English Town: “Dalza’s basse danse meets the english cadence”.

Arpeggiating a single motive results in a deceptively simple prelude. Let’s delve into this audio dungeon - timestamps as a map, motif as a compass.

Welcome dungeon crawling the nylon guitar! Don’t let the pastoral, Arcadian art by Konsta Airisto fool you - here be music theory dragons. Special mention to galant partimento / scale-degree schemata by R. Gjerdingen, G. Sanguinetti & other wizard legends.